Point Roberts border is the weirdest US-Canada Border. This city has US zip code, and if you want to do real estate activities, it has to be done the US way!
Are you planning to go to Point Roberts WA from Vancouver BC because of the gas prices, its marina, airport, or even the weather? check this post out!
This post contains advertising boxes and affiliate links. If you click one of them, we receive a small commission (which helps us keep this site live and free for all) at no extra cost to you. Thank you.
Recent history of Point Roberts WA
Point Roberts is officially a part of the USA, even though it is separated from the motherland. Its only border is with Delta, BC in Canada. The story is kind of funny when in the 18th Century Britons and Americans worked on making an official border between the US and Canada, they picked up a ruler and drew it along the map. A few years later, after checking that line carefully, the British discovered that this tiny part of BC is a part of the US! They asked to get it back and give the US a piece of land somewhere else which has never been accepted till now!
The reason behind Point Robert’s name
The first part of its name is after a British Royal Navy officer called “Henry Roberts” who was a friend of “George Vancouver” and the second part is according to the fact that it looks like a dot on the map.
People and Education system
Around 1300 people call it home and they got a school that is used for 1st to 3rd grade. from 4th grade and onward, the students have to cross the border twice to go to school in Blaine, WA which is the nearest US city to them.
Economy
This town gets used mostly by Canadians. they go over there for various reasons like cheap gasoline, cheap grocery and post office which is the coolest one because they can enjoy US national post rates for online shopping from websites like Amazon.com. These kinds of activities are the main income source of locals. Their community is so safe that the US sends protected witnesses over there to live there safely thanks to strict border crossing!
Activities
Beach, Marina and Golf course in Point Roberts
There’s a a beach, a marina, and a few cool bars and restaurants as well as a Golf Course and some local festivals.
Restaurants in Point Roberts
The average rating of almost all the businesses in Point Roberts is 4 stars or above which interprets to nice people!
If you’re looking for a pure pacific northwest cuisine, try Saltwater Café. They are popular for their atmosphere and big portions. Their specials change depending on the season. You can check out their Website to look at their menu.
During the summertime, don’t miss the patio at Kiniski’s Reef Taverna. Order a couple of beers and a burger while enjoying the sunset. Don’t forget to check out their menu.
Please share your experiences with us in the comment section, below!
How interesting!
Right! It is an interesting place!
Thank you for your comment! ❤
You are very welcome
Point Roberts is a 30 minute drive from my Canadian house. It’s well known to Vancouver/Lower Mainland Canadians. Back in the day (aka before 9/11) crossing the border to Point Roberts was effortless, a weekend destination for Sunday drivers looking for cheap U.S. gas, cheese, eggs and milk. Until a 1983 fire burnt Breakers to the ground, this bar/live music venue was packed every weekend with Canadians. This sleepy U.S. anomaly was home to a thriving artist community from the turn of the 20th century through the 60s and 70s. Most of the original cottages are gone now. My mother’s parents cottage was leveled years ago. Sigh.
Thank you very much for the deep insight!
That’s true! Not all people in the lower mainland are aware of Point Roberts. They often get shocked when I tell them about it!
I haven’t been to Point Roberts, but I find border anomalies like this fascinating. On a smaller scale, there’s a neighborhood about a mile from my house which, because of the existence of a creek and the fact that boundary lines and property lines don’t follow the creek here, is actually in the city next to mine, but the only way to get there in a car is to pass through my city. There is a pedestrian and bicycle bridge across the creek connecting that neighborhood to the rest of its city, but the only street into or out of that neighborhood connects to my city instead of its city. And a lot of people who live there don’t even know what city they live in.
Wow! That’s interesting! I I’ve borders like what you described!
I had a series of strange borders on my blog. Numerous places in the world are like that! I don’t know why, but I find the whole border idea, exciting! 😅
I know… I’ve seen some of your strange borders posts. 🙂 Usually there is some distinct historical reason behind a strange border. In the case of what I described, I’m not positive, but the area in question is out in the suburbs, and it was all farmland until sometime in the 1980s and 90s (I think). My guess is that when the bigger city planned to expand in that direction, they probably annexed land and followed property lines of existing agricultural properties before they subdivided them into residential neighborhoods (but why did those property lines not follow the creek, I don’t know that one). The city to the south, where I live, was not an actual city with well-defined boundaries until the late 90s, maybe early 2000s; it was just a bunch of suburban neighborhoods in unincorporated areas outside of the city limits. I know for sure that when it incorporated as a city, its northern border was set at the existing border of the older and larger city next to it. I’m not sure if the neighborhood in question was built yet at the time my city incorporated; it would have happened around the same time.
A lot of city limits around here are very convoluted, and often that is related to there being historically certain influential property owners or businesses who did or didn’t want to be in the city limits for some reason.
That’s quite interesting and it sounds logical. I never noticed that about the city borders. The only city border that I ever noticed is Dallas. There are some enclaves around the city (like 0.5 mile away) that is considered Dallas and even that one makes sense with your description.
One common thing in this state is that a lot of cities will have exclaves several miles away if there is a state prison nearby. That way, the inmates can be considered city residents, and the city looks like it has a larger population and gets more funding. I’ve also noticed cities with exclaves several miles away if they have something like a water well or a water treatment plant that is not near the rest of the city.
Wow, I’m impressed by your knowledge. Thank you very much for the explanation. Now I can brag about my new knowledge! lol
🙂
Never knew about this place. Thanks for sharing
My pleasure.
Thanks for your comment 😊